Manchester City vs Inter Milan: Prediction, Preview And Betting Odds

Manchester City is the favorite to win at home, but Inter Milan is no pushover. Expect a closely fought game, with City edging it due to their offensive firepower. Predicted Score: Manchester City 2-1 Inter Milan.

Manchester City has a six-game winning streak across all competitions, making them favourites. Their form at home is dominant, and they’ll be looking to start their Champions League campaign with a victory. Given Manchester City’s recent tendency to concede and Inter Milan’s strong start to the season, both teams scoring is a solid bet.

City has been conceding goals at home, with both teams scoring in eight of their last nine matches. A 2-1 scoreline in favor of Manchester City reflects their slight defensive vulnerabilities but also their offensive prowess.

Match Overview

• Date: September 18, 2024
• Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
• Kick-Off Time: 3:00 PM ET
• Where To Watch: Paramount+

This opening UEFA Champions League clash is a rematch of the 2023 final, with Manchester City hosting Italian champions Inter Milan at the Etihad. Both teams enter in solid form, setting the stage for a competitive showdown.

Form:

Manchester City have been in excellent form, as the current Premier League champions are on a six-game winning streak, including four in the Premier League this season. At home, Manchester City are usually their most ruthless, and this season, the Citizens have scored six goals and conceded only two.

Manchester City have only lost one game in regulation time since the turn of the year: the FA Cup Final against Manchester United. The last home game for Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League was the draw against Real Madrid, which ultimately ended in a penalty shootout loss for the Citizens.

Manchester City were excellent last season at home in the Premier League, having remained unbeaten in their 19 games. Manchester City scored 51 goals at home in the Premier League last season and only conceded 16. Manchester City are on a run of four wins from five at the Etihad Stadium. The home side averaged 2.68 goals per game last campaign and this season, they’re already on 2.05 after four games.

Key Players:

Erling Haaland is the standout, with his goal-scoring ability likely to be the deciding factor. Expect creativity from Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden to feed Haaland up front.

Predicted Lineup:

Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol; Rodri, De Bruyne, Foden; Bernardo Silva, Doku, Haaland.

Form:

Inter Milan was in superb form on their travels away from the San Siro last season. The visitors for this game were only beaten once away from home in the Serie A last season, having only lost to Sassuolo. Inter Milan won 15 and drawn three of the remaining 18 games last season. Simone Inzaghi’s side averaged 2.53 points per game last season, which happened to be better than their home form of 2.43.

Inter Milan are in brilliant form, having been unbeaten in their previous four games - including an impressive start to their league campaign. As mentioned earlier, Inter Milan have won two and drawn one of their first three games. Their only away fixture this season resulted in a 2-2 draw away at Genoa.

Key Players:

Marcus Thuram and Mehdi Taremi have formed a dangerous forward partnership. Inter’s defense, anchored by Pavard and De Vrij, will need to be at its best to contain Haaland.

Predicted Lineup:

Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Augusto; Darmian, Frattesi, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Taremi.